Epona's Story
by horror101
Summary: This is the tale of Epona's life, pre-game, in-game and post-game.


AN- Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it! :) Some elements of the game might be switched around for the sake of the story.

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><p>-Epona's Story-<p>

~A Oneshot~

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><p>My name is Epona.<p>

I was born in this place people seem to call "Lon Lon Ranch." My mother was a Malonsian, a special breed of horse named after the ranch owner's daughter, a remarkable girl with an extraordinary horsewoman talent. She was the only person I ever trusted. The other two men that live in the ranch are Ingo and Talon.

Talon is never really around, so he's a complete stranger to me, and Ingo... Well, let's just say that the moment I first laid eyes on him, my instinct instantly told me not to trust him, and I've listened to it.

My father was Faroerian, a special and very hard to come across breed of horse that is green all over and is a remarkable rider in forests and fields. Naturally, the moment Ingo laid eyes on him, he instantly gave chase and came back very gloatful and proud for he had managed to successfully lasso him.

When asked by Talon what he was going to do with him, he then got the idea to breed him and a Malonsian together to come up with a new breed of horse that they could sell and put to use to gain more money and reputation. I guess he had no idea that _I_ would be that same foal he was thinking about.

For some reason (he was probably too sleepy to think straight) he agreed to this idea, and so, after many difficult, restless and tiresome months, I was convinced. I was born after 11 months in the springtime like all horses are. I was a feisty little rascal, let me tell you! I was snorting, whinnying and squirming like you wouldn't believe! I even tried squirming my way back into my mother's womb!

My mother's gentle kiss and Malon's gentle voice and touch are what calmed me down before Ingo blew a fuse and ended up doing something Malon would never forgive him for! I learned how to stand and walk in under ten minutes, something usually unheard of, and was suckling happily while my mother snacked on hay to regain her energy.

Gently stroking me, Malon asked Ingo, "What should her name be?"

Indifferent, Ingo shrugged.

Unfazed by his attitude, she almost immediately thinks, "Epona. That's what we'll call you. Epona!"

I perked up at the sound of my name being spoken for the first time, taking an instant liking to it.

Malon laughed-a light, cheerful sound that sounded like an entire choir of Farores's angel's singing- and responded with, "Well, she likes it!"

Inheriting my father's incredible running and jumping skills, coupled with my mother's stubbornness and high energy level, I was quite the handful! Malon was the only one that could calm me down, and because of this, Ingo grew to hate me. He enjoyed calling me a "half-breed mongrel that can't do anything right!" He always did it whenever Malon wasn't around, though, because the very first time he did it, Malon heard him and _boy_ did he get an _earful!_ Ii was the very first and one of the only times I had seen her like that and it _scared_ me, though it also comforted me since it showed just how much Malon loved me.

I grew up normally, growing closer and closer to my mother and Malon every day. When my mother died of natural causes when I was just 9 months old, Malon was the only family I had left, since my father had ran away just 6 months into my mother's pregnancy. She sang this beautiful lullaby to me whenever I was upset, hyper or sleepy to soothe my and calm me down. Since she sang it to me so often and because I loved the song so much, she eventually dubbed it "Epona's Song."

The tune and the lyrics were from her mother, whom had also died when Malon was just a baby, something we had in common. I wouldn't let anyone else approach me or touch me. Malon was the only one I trusted.

... Until _he_ came.

He was a very strange boy, that Link, clothed in this strange green tunic I've never seen anyone wear before with this strange pointy green hat to top it all off. He carried all sorts of these strange items around in this knapsack of his, some of which looked frightening and deadly. He had this small, yet sharp sword hung on his back and a fairly large wooden shield also.

He visited very often, sometimes with new items (once he actually had this humongous metal, fancy looking shield that looked _incredibly_ heavy and slowed him down a great deal hung on his back instead of his wooden one before he switched back, it obviously slowing down too much) and carrying around these strange, magical feeling stones with him. He was incredibly quiet, so much so I would have asked him if he even knew how to talk if I could speak the human tongue.

He and Malon got along great. Due to his muteness, he was a great listener and enjoyed showing off his items and weapons. Despite how much I felt left out and how much I knew that he was a good person (Hel_-lo_, Malon trusted him!), I still felt... uneasy around him. Something about him just seemed... different then everyone else. Malon never seemed to sense it, and I could never seem to quite place it, which was part of the reason I felt so uneasy around him.

After two months of visiting, Malon taught him my song on his brown Ocarina he carried around with him. That was the start of our friendship. I finally decided that he wasn't a threat and proceeded to let him pet me. I began to trust him like I trusted Malon. They both would look after me together and the three of us became inseparable.

But that all changed that one day... It had suddenly begun storming and so all of the horses and animals were brought inside to avoid getting all wet and cold. The rest of the animals and me all knew that something wasn't right. I think that the humans felt it too because they were acting uneasy. I don't what exactly the feeling was, but something very bad had happened...

... And I didn't see Link for another seven years...

Many changes took place. The land around the ranch seemed to grow darker and drearier with each passing day. Business wasn't doing to good, either. Also, Ingo had officially kicked Talon out and had taken over the ranch. I barely ever saw Malon anymore, so I grew more lonely and angry with each passing day without her. I sometimes overhead Ingo talking about selling me to some "Ganondorf" guy, a name and presence that would always send chills up and down my spine, for some reason. He just had such a dark aura about him...

It was another lonely and boring day when it happened. I was standing around, ignoring all whinnies and snorts from the other horses, when I heard footsteps coming up the path. And these footsteps didn't belong to Ingo, Malon or any of the other animals at the ranch. These belonged to a stranger.

My ears immediately shot back as I snorted loudly in protest as I ran away while the other horses rushed forward to greet this newcomer, all whinnying and nickering in greeting. I just shook my mane and turned away.

The footsteps came up to the corral as he began chatting with Ingo, who had come outside to greet him. Soon the corral doors opened and the whinnying and nickering grew noisier. Everyone wanted to investigate this newcomer. Everyone but me, that is.

When I heard the footsteps start approaching me, I instantly snorted and began running away. The footsteps continued following me however. After a while of this "cat-and-mouse" game, I eventually grew really annoyed and turned around to face the stranger... only to freeze up.

He had the same green tunic, the same green hat, the same knapsack... But it couldn't have been him! He hadn't shown himself for seven years so why on Earth should that be him! I snorted and began running away again... when my song reached my ears. I froze up yet again as Epona's Song began flittering through the air, as beautiful and soothing as ever. I turned around and saw that the stranger had a blue Ocarina and was playing my song on it. Aside from being blue in color and having a powerful aura of importance about it, it proved that the stranger... was Link...

The way he played and the fact that he was playing my song, a song only Malon, her mother and Link knew, so flawlessly was solid proof that he had come back.

_Link... It's really you..._

Complete joy overcame me and I rushed forward to greet him, nickering and whinnying loudly in greeting. If I had tearsacks, I would have begun sobbing pure tears of joy.

"Yes girl, I missed you, too."

The two of us rode together, me finally being able to put my running and jumping skills to use. After 30 minutes of riding, Ingo saw how impressive Link's riding skills were and challenged him to a race for 50 rupees (Ingo always was greedy). I was nervous about the idea, knowing how good Ingo was at racing and not being sure if I could keep up with his horse. Link agreed though and I didn't want to give him a hard time, so we raced... and beat Ingo by a metre!

I was really surprised and proud of myself for being able to beat Ingo, so when he challenged Link to a second race, which if he won he could keep me, I was more than happy to oblige!

We won this race, too, so I officially became Link's horse! Ingo thought he'd be all devious and lock us inside the ranch so Ganondorf wouldn't be mad at him for giving me away, but I was easily able to jump the fence and me and Link rode off before Ingo could come after us!

It saddened me to leave Malon behind and I hoped that she wouldn't be to upset, but I knew in my heart that I had to help Link! And whenever or wherever he played my song I always heard him and came running. I never gave him a hard time and he took very good care of me. We traveled to this big forest, this river of sorts and this village at the foot of a huge mountain with smoke circling around its peak. I had to run away from the village though, because the mountain suddenly began growling and rumbling and shooting fireballs at everyone!

Thankfully, Link wasn't mad and two days later, he found me running across this huge field, trying to run away from these strange child-size bone creatures that were trying to attack me. He was able to kill them and calm me down enough for us to jump across this large chasm where a bridge was being built in this big sandy area.

After a week, he played my song and he and I rode to this broken and splinter filled drawbridge. We rode through this town towards this large building in the background. The sight of this building almost made me rear and bolt out of the place, but I was able to stay calm enough to ride to the area around the building.

Link dismounted when I stopped and noticed that there was no way into the building. Suddenly, this loud, echoy voice that I couldn't understood since it was speaking the human tongue came booming all around us. It had an air of importance and respect about it while at the same time still being gentle.

It told Link something before this humongous rainbow bridge appeared, leading into the building. Link began crossing it and I almost followed him inside, dreading the thought of Link being inside there alone with only his little blue fairy to accompany him, but I stopped myself, knowing that whatever Link had to do, I couldn't help him. I had helped Link all I could so now, I just had to trust him.

Sometime later, the entire building suddenly began collapsing! I ran away, fearing for Link's safety. Even though a part of me told me that Link was dead, the other argued that he was tougher than that and had survived.

It was another while later when the clouds in the sky suddenly began clearing away, leaving the beautiful, clear, blue sky visible once again. Knowing this to be a good omen, I returned to the now collapsed building and whinnied in total joy when I saw Link standing there, with a girl garbed in pink at his side, in front of one of the most terrifying... _creatures_ I have ever seen! But I didn't care. My Link was alive!

Link whirled around to face me, hearing my whinny, but before anything else could happen, he, the girl and the creature vanished!

I stood there for what seemed like hours, waiting for them to return. Eventually, the girl did, but Link and the creature remained gone. From the sad, yet happy look on her face, I was able to conclude that the creature was gone forever... but so was Link.

This saddened me greatly, but instead of mourning, I only watched as the girl slowly began dutifully walking towards me, holding her head high. When she drew closer, instead of growing uneasy, I simply watched as she stopped in front of me, turned and actually started petting me! Shockingly, I didn't resist, simply letting her stroke my muzzle as she genuinely smiled and said three words that made my heart swell with joy and pride: "Good job, girl!"

Sometime later, a humongous crowd of people had gathered in the ruined town, all looking incredibly confused and relieved. I wasn't as uneasy as you probably thought I was, for some reason. That was namely because I saw Malon there. Whinnying loudly, I rushed up to her and she embraced me, burying her face in my neck as she whispered, "I missed you!"

We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity that ended all too soon when she ran to embrace her father who was calling to her.

The crowd quieted down when the pink girl rose on a platform and began talking for a while in her tongue, a happy, yet also sad speech that must have been explaining everything that had happened with her and Link. When she finished the crowd erupted into a loud, yet powerful and emotional applause.

The crowd began dispersing and Malon came along with her father and Ingo to lead me back to the ranch.

After the sun set, Malon and the others left for some celebration where a bunch of lights, music and voices were coming from. Me and the horses stayed at the ranch, celebrating there since we couldn't come.

Although I was sad, I was also happy and proud of Link.

_Link... I'm not sure if you can hear this or not, but... I love you and I am extremely proud of you._

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><p>And there you have it.<p>

Three years have passed since Link left and while I do indeed miss him, I know that he's where he wants to be now and that he's completed his mission. I, on the other hand, am a mother now, with the twins Rhiannon and Euros keeping my hooves full. They're the second and third of their species; the Eponasians. Malon insisted that the species be named after me since I was its first member.

Now that you've heard my story, I have no more to say to you. I hope you enjoyed this tale and will pass it along.

Now if you'll excuse me, Malon is calling me.

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><p>-The End-<p>

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><p>AN- Wrote ¾ of this in one go! Btw, Rhiannon (the girl) is the Welsh horse goddess and Euros (the boy) is the horse-shaped Greece god of Autumn that pulled the chariot of Zeus.<p>

Zelda belongs to Nintendo.

Malonsians and Eponasians belong to Alaia Skyhawk.

This story, Rhiannon and Euros, and Faroerians belong to me.

Review, but NO FLAMES!


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